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Through an NSF S-STEM grant and institutional support, the STEM CAREERS (Career and Research Exploration to Enhance Retention in STEM) Program was created in 2018. This program provided scholarships and programming for high achieving lower-income students from rural and diverse backgrounds for N = 33 students over four years. A summer bridge, common first-year experience course, and interim trip on career exploration created a learning community for the cohort in their first year. Career exploration and networking opportunities introduced students to unimagined careers. Career preparation experiences were built into the remaining 3 years of the program as well as multi-layered mentoring. Mixed methods data collection included pre-post STEM career surveys, annual focus groups, and personal reflections. Some preliminary results include enhanced sense of belonging and strong support network, high placement into prestigious summer research programs and internships, and early admittance into dental school and graduate school.
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How do you know if this is for you? Exploration and awareness of technical STEM careers
Abstract STEM technician and technologist careers can be accessible options for students; however, the historical devaluing of technical careers combined with a lack of awareness and familiarity with the specific options within this career cluster have resulted in a shortage of trained and prepared professionals. Grounded in social cognitive career theory, this survey study explores college students' knowledge of technical STEM careers, their high school career exploration experiences, and the relationship between science interest, career decision‐making, and technical career knowledge. Results from this survey indicate there is little to no familiarity with the majority of the STEM technician and technologist careers presented. However, results also show students are engaging in career exploration, and many are using more than one resource for exploration in their high school years. Implications for school counselors, teachers, family members, and community members are presented to specifically address the noted concerns.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2000865
- PAR ID:
- 10420807
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- School Science and Mathematics
- Volume:
- 123
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0036-6803
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 114-124
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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